Mi Viejo a Puerto Rico!

Si mi amigos...estoy en Puerto Rico on a graduate recruitment trip! and NO, this trip is not all fun and games. I have come in contact with interested students who know more about the program and school than some students I met at schools in the states! This trip has been so successful as far as meeting good master's and doctoral candidates. Several times this year when I have visited schools, there may have only been a few students that would come visit GSE's table, without me first harrassing them; however, I have not had to do much harrassing here. Most of the time I have teamed up with Teacher's College and we have presented the students with two wonderful options as far as graduate degrees in education. And please do NOT think that this is a relaxed vacation and I'm at one school for a few hours, then back to the hotel and the streets of San Juan for fun and games...ese viego es trabajo! The first day we (all the recruiters) were gone from 7am to 7pm! Hay dios mi! Today was not as bad, we only had onew school, which was close to the hotel, but the humid heat made up for the hours of work that we didnt have today...

Now to the fun part...These people like to party! Dancing, shopping, eating, drinking, etc. After visiting the school, I joined a few of the other recruiters, one who is from the island and others who have been here before, to tour Old San Juan. Old San Juan is the historical (and party) part of San Juan. It was a very beautiful place...walking those streets were a workout too...

Well, let me get back to the fiesta, then off to bed for another day of meeting students! Adios mi gente!

Close to the end!

November 19th! That's the day I am done with the RWL program...it was a love/hate relationship. Right now, we're more on the hate side of things. The closer I get to the end, the further I distance myself from love and the closer I snuggle up with hate.

Much of this semester has been devoted to compiling my program portfolio. Although I am taking one class, it has taken a backseat to portfolio. I have been doing portfolio work right along, but the closer it gets to November 8th (the actual day I have to hand it in) all the things I've failed to do seem so tedious. Everything is getting in the way of me completing this project...I lost my jumpdrive, the battery on my computer died, i think my computer has a virus, i fall asleep when I plan on working, etc. I think I just need to take one day where I cut myself off from the rest of society and spend the entire time with Portfolio (yes, it has now become a proper noun).

Most people stress about the 25 minute "exit" interview where you have to present you portfolio and answer questions...I see that as the easiest part! If I had my way, students would be able to choose between the written portfolio or an exit interview. For the last year of my life I have been eating, sleeping, breathing, and living reading/writing/literacy, I talk people to death with my conversations about literacy. I don't know everything, but I'm smart enough to know that learning comes from inquiry and not knowing. I know this is just a dream, but its dreams that have gotten me and Portfolio this far in my relationship!

Me...A Chaperone?

This weekend I chaperoned a college tour to several HBCU's on the east coast, Howard, Morgan State, Bennett, NC A&T, Clark Atlanta, and Spelman. The Spelman Alumnae Association, Philly Chapter sponsors this tour every year for high school girls in the area. The tour is so much more than just visiting and finding out about colleges, but it is also and social experience. The young ladies who participated in the tour learn about proper dress, behavior and social interactions. Yes, it was a rough beginning, and there was much backlash against dressing professionally, using certain language, not wearing head scarves and slippers in public venues, and just presenting oneself in a professional manner at all times, but by the time our debriefing rolled around, all the ladies were appreciative our the guidelines. They realized that they had stood out during the tours and info sessions, they were recognized for their professional demeanor, although at times it was forced. By being away from the "Spelman" environment and way of doing things I had forgotten somethings; this trip was like a refresher course. While at Penn I have grown began to lower my standards as it relates to presentation of oneself. It is NOT okay a give a class presentation is t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers...it is NOT okay to come to class in sweats or pajamas...and it is definitely NOT okay to attend a meeting or go on an interview in anything other than business professional attire!

We also presented the ladies with something other than professional etiquette. They were exposed to Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark during the Homecoming weekend! The students experienced Market Friday, a hip-hop concert, the football game, a step show, coronation, the parade, and tailgating! These high school students were blown away! We fused with them for not paying attention or keeping up with the group, but that was not a reasonible expectation because many of the young ladies had never been in this environment.

Although we, Spelman Alum, would love for all the ladies to attend Spelman, but just the mere fact that all the ladies are seriously interested in college is a success!

Picture

GSE has various student organizations. One of the cultural organizations is the Association of African American at GSE. This was the welcome dinner for this organization. We went to Warmdaddy's on Delaware Avenue. This is a soul food resatuarant that has a live jazz band, Brass Heaven.

Another Week...

I have started this blog over 3 different times. I have no idea what to talk about.

Well, I'm watching VH1's Hip Hop Honors...did anyone else watch this? As I'm watching it, I can't help but to think of the evolution of Hip-Hop over the last 30 years. I don't know if its a good thing or a bad thing. You have people like Mos Def, Common, Kanye (I know he's debatable "You can be my Black Kate Moss tonight"), and Talib K., then at the other end of the "New Age Hip Hop Artist Continuum" you have 50 Cent (ILL), the Game, Lil Boosie, Gucci Mane, etc...How can something so different be considered Hip-Hop? Taking it back to the old age RWL question, What is Literacy?, I have to stand back and ask, What is Hip-Hop? As I watch the legacy of Hip-Hop and what was Hip-Hop, I hate that some of the garbage that consumes the media today is considered Hip-Hop. I can even deal with some people who may not rap about the best things or most positive situations, but they still manage to maintain a level of creativty and consciousness in thier "16 bars of fire"...such as Weezy (The Lexical Navigationist! LOL) T.I., Ludacris, and Jay-Z. I thought Hip-Hop was fun, creativity, self-expression, and something that was supposed to uplift, but the state of Hip-Hop is quickly deteriorating as a result of what we accept from artist. Why do we buy the music? Why do we request the songs on the radio? Why have we allowed something so creative and innovative to turn into something that lack substance? By not listening, I don't know if that makes me active in the backlash against some of the garbage that is considered Hip-Hop...but I feel like more people should, just not listen. I even feel like the Hip-Hop legends should take an active stance in speaking out against dispicable "rappers" like 50 Cent...but maybe they don't care. Maybe I'm the only one who hates this commercial Hip-Hop and all its popularity...

Multitasking...Learn It Or Else

The key to success in grad school, maybe in life, is to multitask. While you're in a restaurant waiting for your food...READ, BRAINSTORM about that paper you need to write, WRITE that paper you need to write... I work (more than part-time, less than full-time), I have a class (this class has an assignment due every week), I travel for GSE, and I write portfolio. If i didn't steal time while at work or in class to "think" about other things I need to do, they would not get done. When I travel for GSE, its not a vacation or freetime, when I'm not recruiting I stay in my hotel room to work on my portfolio and class assignments. That is actually the best time and place to get work done. I usually don't know anyone else when I travel and I definitely don't know how to get around in the cities I go to, so there are no distractions, I have to other choice but to work. My cyberfriends, if you are thinking about going to grad school and actually being active and not a bookwork, you should really learn how to multitask. Balancing and juggling acts are the only things that will get you through grad school successfully

Another Semester...?

I'm back at GSE for (hopefully) my last semester, and I am off to a running start! I only have one class this semester. It's called Language and Diversity in Education, taught by the renown Nancy Hornberger. So far everything we a learning is very intriguing; this past class we had a discussion on how implicit metaphors used in the media and in daily life sometimes oppress different groups of people. Bet you never eventhought about that!
Even though it's only one class, and it's interesting, it's A LOT of work. Which in and of itself would be fine, but I am also trying to complete my portfolio at the same time. For those of you who don't know, the portfolio is for the RWL program, and it is basically a compilation of what you've done in this program and your reflection on your time here. Sounds easy, but it's a bit more complicated than it sounds. I'm just going to really throw myself into it, though. Luckily, I have a great support network of friends/my cohort, and understanding faculty members that help me laugh my way through this busy time!
On that note, let me try to work on portfolio a little more before the night is over. Peace!

The End!

Yes. This school year is over. This year went by so fast, its crazy! I have had so many good expereinces and opportunities. I am really glad I chose to go to graduate school and not go straight into the teaching profession. Although I was prepared after undergrad, the academic, social, and professional experiences have helped me develop and mature. Grad school has provided me with more choices and options, which would have not been available had I entered the work force. It sounds like I'm finish with my degree...I"m not, this is just a realization. Well...all of you out there in bloggerland, I hope you enjoyed reading the journals and I hope they provided you with some helpful information. This is my last blog, it will be removed in September and new bloggers will post.

Good Luck in all your endeavours,
Jamie

Clearly, the violence and rediculous things we see going on in our neighborhoods is a major problem. Why has my society, the streets of Philadelphia, become a war ground and commonplace for senseless murder, violence, drug abuse and other crimes? Of course the media sensationalizes everything, but in order to sensationalize, you have to start with something; therefore, if these murders were not happening, then Renee Chanault-Fattah, or Jim Gardner, or any other news personality would not be keeping a tally sheet of all the murders and comparing it to how Camden used to have the most murders per year, but Philly has taken over.
Since when did it become okay, or a trend to not just tote a gun, but use it and kill people? When I look out society in repect to a bigger picture, not just what is visible now, but also what has led up to what is visible now. I have to think about all that contributed to the trends and socially constructed categories of today. We just didn't wake up one day and say, "Okay, every other person needs to become a murderer," or "Wouldn't it be fly if we could have the highest murder rate in the country?" The fact of the matter is that Philly may be leading the pack, but this is just a prophecy of what could happen across America, which would be a terrible thing.
But really, where did all this craziness come from? It's a history of things that leads us to where we are and where we will go. I'm not putting this on Black men, or even one particular person or group of people; I think the state of Black men in the context of American society, both past and present, provide an understanding of how we have arrived at our current position. (Black men, please don't kill me)
This may sound crazy and it may sound like I'm about to attack Black men, but I LOVE Black men. I just think that their position in society has been devalued and "shitted on" that you can look at how they are viewed and treated in society and understand how society has gotten to where it is now. Take a look at these things:
- Slavery: Black men were forced to watch, in silence, as their women were raped and their children beaten and taken away;
- Slavery: Black men were thought of as 3/5 of a human being and in some cases, lower than livestock
- Post Enslavement: Black men were now legally human beings, but identifiyed by society as boys
-Post Enslavement: Black men were "given" a place in society, they were not allowed to make a place for themselves
- As a result of all the above: Black men have lost thier positions as "head of the house"
- Black men are constantly lived in fear of
- Black men are constantly racially profiled
- Black men are more likely to be wrongly accused of crimes they did not committ
- Black men are more likely to be arrested
- Black men are 7 times more likely than whites to be held in a detention facility
- Black men receive more severe punishments and jail time than their white counterparts who commit the same crime
- Black males are coping with the misery of being a Black male in America, but does not have any coping mechanisms
All these issues and devaluing of one's character contribute to the ethnography of misery and nihility. All this means is that soon, one will think of himself as nonexistant and develop of fear of being forgotten, unappreciated and overlooked, which will inevitably cause anger, depression, distress, and misery. Now think about this...it is not humane to surpress all those negative tensions, they have to be released and dealt with; however, if you don't know how to "deal", then you will "deal" the best way you know how.

Recruiting, End of Semester, Ice Cream Social :)

Hi everyone! How are you guys doing? Today is such a beautiful day in Philly, I guess its too bad my one class is cancelled...what a bummer :(

I just got back from the California Diversity Forum, which has one of the largest grad fairs in the country. Approximately 1500 students attended this forum and grad fair. There were 205 schools represented and some schools, such as UPenn had 5 different colleged represented: Nursing, Arts and Humanities, Social Policy and Practice, Biomedical, and of course GSE. The fair began a little a slow, but by the end of the day I had run out of several materials and enlightened so many people about the many different areas of education that Penn has to offer. Most people who visited the table were interested in an APHD program: Professional Counseling and Psychology. I was interested in visiting some of the grad tables to look at PhD programs in Higher Ed, but I was so busy with students, never got the opportunity. Ultimately, I think I will probably continue my education at GSE...

Okay, so we have about one or two weeks remaining in the semester. Prior to going away for the weekend, I was a little stressed about all the work I had to do. I brought my computer and some work materials with me and managed to finish about 50% of all I had to do! I think i just needed to get away from everything. Last week I sat in on the APHD panel discussion for accepted students, one of the topics that came up was "burn out." If I wasnt already at "burn out", I was probably on my way. Sometimes I forget, but when you are in grad school, you need to get away. Even if it means taking a mental health or going to the park...but you need time alone and away!

I'm so excited...(Sadiyah will say this is fat, but I will laugh it off) we are having an Ice Cream Social for all admissions volunteers. Throughout the school year volunteers have great with helping out at Open-Houses, Student Panels, Conferences, Receptions, and servicing perspective and new students, so now its time to really show our appreciation for these folks! Without volunteers many of the events and activities would not have been successful... THANKX GUYS

Preview Day, Finish with Student Teaching, Diversity Forum...

I missed a week of blogging (sorry Matt). Last week was kind of busy. I was searching for volunteers for Master's Students Preview day, i was finishing up student teaching, and since I am going out of town for a diversity forum, I was trying to complete as many of my 8 papers as possible (I only managed to hash out 2!)

Tomorrow is the preview day for all accepted master's students. I did not go to my preview day, so I am really interesting in seeing how this turns out. The students will have access to so much information tomorrow, I hope everyone takes advantage of it. There will be current students, faculty, and staff member "at your service." It's going to be important to get as much info as possible and to make as many connections as possible because it will be beneficial in the upcoming school year. On my first day at GSE, orientation, I was so lost. I didn't even know my division, I only knew my program, not even the acronym of my program. I was so confused my the division and program separations and the different acronyms for everything important... I feel like if I had taken the opportunity to reach out to someone and participate in some of the activities prior to orientation...I would have had a more "knowledgeable" start.

After the preview day for everyone, we have planned a Multicultural "celebration" for the accepted students of color. Basically, this is a discussion on diversity, dinner, and mingling. I definitely could have benefited from something like this before coming to GSE. If I wasn't at GSE with Sadiyah (the other GA of color and friend/classmate since 6th grade) I probably would be miserable. Coming from an HBCU, I battled with a lot of things when I started GSE, but I think we managed to keep each other "together", then when we got involved in diversity initiatives, things got a lot easier for me.

Now on to the end of student teaching...
I haven't seen this side of the philly school system since I graduated from Central High (261) in 2002. Although I had been volunteering at my elementary school on my breaks home from Spelman, I had never spent a significant period of time in the classroom, nor have I had the opportunity to really be apart of the school community until this student teaching experience. I have learned so much, anything beyond what I could learn in my courses. I pretty much know about methods and teaching styles and putting those things into practice, but I was clueless about the politics and social aspects of what goes on this school system. As a result of testing requirements I see the students at such a disadvantage. I also see the teachers suffer: so many expectations and guidelines with not enough resources and support... I have to move on to something less depressing :(

Well, I am going to a diversity forum at University of California Santa Barbara. My main purpose for wanting to go is to see what other graduate schools are doing about diversity. I hope to new and influential people that may be able to provide me with ideas and even resources I can bring back to GSE. After speaking with a few PhD students, they informed me that this is the most diversity they have seen in GSE since they have been in their programs, this means that GSE is doing something right, but what can we do to enhance the current initiatives. Perhaps, someone will even benefit from some of the things GSE is doing...

The Semester is Coming to an End

I woke up this morning to realize...THE SEMESTER IS ALMOST OVER! I have papers due, case studies to complete, research to and reviews to finish up, and presentations to prepare. This semester has been really weird, unlike first semester. First semester I felt more involved in class and with my work. This semester I feel more involved with my students and with teaching. The classes I have taken this semester are definitely more practice than theory (all practice). For me, theory is more demanding than practice. Teachers have a much easier job than students, but for some reason, I do not feel like I am ready to go into the classroom. Maybe I don't want to go into the classroom.

I am prolonging my time at GSE because I still trying to figure out what to do next. I could have easily taken three classes this summer and written completed my comprehensive portfolio, but that not what I'm doing. I'm spending more loan money, and taking one class in the fall so I will not have to pay for my portfolio class. My uncle just told me he is going back to school to get his PhD in education, so I'm like, "Hmmm, PhD? That sounds like something I could do." Then when he told me he was coming to GSE, I said, "Yes, this is something I will do!" Do I really want to do this? I don't know. I just think it would be interesting for my uncle and I to be in school/class at the same time. We may even graduate at the same time! I would also have to worry about days when I may not be "able to attend class" or days when I "need extra time on an assignment". So, as I finish up this semester, I will also ponder "My Life After RWL".

What a Wonderful Weekend!

Well, the HBCU/HSI Diversity Weekend was a success! Everybody was in place and on target, which made things run as smoothly as they did.

The weekend began with all the students (Lincoln University, University of Texas-PanAm, and Spelman College) arriving Friday afternoon. We began with a welcome and ice breaker session from all the current volunteer students. This session began with some stiffness, but once people walked around with "peanut butter and jelly sandwich" and "Brittany Spears' Hair" written on their backs, everyone loosened up. The highlight for the evening, probably the highlight of the whole weekend was the amazing faculty and staff members who came out to casually converse with the students during a reception and during dinner.

Following dinner we had a panel discussion on difference and diversity and all the possible things we could talk about as it relates to race, culture, and education. Although the students from Texas had been up since about 5am, they persevered through the conversation and made wonderful contributions to the discussion.

The next morning we hit the ground running. Again, the volunteers were on point! They made sure students were in place for the mock class session held by Dr. Gasman. All the visiting students expressed their gratitude to Dr. Gasman for facilitating such an involved conversation. We continued through the morning with "tips on applying" and "division/program information".

LUNCH! and a well need downtime.

After lunch we took the guest students on an abbreviated tour of campus. During the tour, we came across a community service event, and a pink powder puff flag football game. Around 2pm, we meet our Philly tour guide, Sheldon, for an extensive tour of center city. We went to Independence hall, Christs' Church, African American Museum, dinner, and King Tut exhibit.

Our wonderful weekend ended with breakfast and evaluations on Sunday morning, followed by trips to the airport and a lengthy ride back to Lincoln University.

This successful weekend could not have taken place without the efforts of faculty, staff, and students at GSE and our awesome visiting students! Thanks guys!

Hectic Times

Hi all

Well spring break was last week, which I took advantage of it and went on a well needed vacation. I AM PAYING FOR IT NOW! I did not take any books or assignments with me on my vacation, only my computer so I could do email corresponding. When I returned I had so much to do. In addition to my usual load of school work and 2 jobs, I am planning for the Diversity Weekend. We have invited 15 students to spend a weekend at Penn and I am responsible for getting things together. So since I have come back I have "overlooked" some school assignments and decided to plan a wonderful weekend for these very lucky students. I really hope everything goes well because I will cry if things totally bomb. Some people have been sending me emails about GSE and about my journals, please don't hesitate to contact me, I enjoy these correspondences :)

Who I Am...

“Out of the huts of history's shame…I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain…I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear…I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear…I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise…I rise…I rise”
Maya Angelou “Still I Rise”

I recently received a friend request on the popular networking site, Myspace.com. So many people are apart of this network, that I never screen my friend request, I always accept everyone as a friend. I accepted this person without thinking twice about it and not even looking at his picture. Some days later this person left me a message about “the old days,” however, I still did not know who it was. Eventually, I got around to looking at his page and realized it was a friend with whom I had gone to elementary school and middle school. I had not seen "C" since we had gone to different high schools. I was glad to see that he had also gone to college and traveled far outside of North Philadelphia/Philadelphia. Many of our classmates did not have the same fortunate pathways as "C" and I. If they are still alive, they have children, did not complete high school, or are/have been incarcerated.

“I am the dream and hope” of my African Ancestry, of the enslaved Africans, of the southern sharecroppers, of the streets of North Philadelphia, of my public school education, and of my family. All these factors have played a role in who I have become today and the person I will eventually evolve into. This portion of Maya Angelou’s poem reminded me of my recent reconnection with my “old” friend, "C". We have surpassed what was expected of us as Black children from North Philadelphia and as products of the Philadelphia Public School System.
I view myself as a multicultural being, not because I am a woman of African descent, which is thought to be an automatic descriptor of multiculturalism, but because of my experiences, relationships, and involvement with different people and groups. I view multiculturalism as a factor of what we do, which makes us who we are. The things that I have done and have been apart of has molded me into the multicultural being that I am today.

My identification as a Black Baptist, a singer and lover of music, a Spelman Woman, a University of Pennsylvania Graduate Student of Education, among many other things have made significant contributions to who I am. I identify as a Black Baptist and not a Baptist because there are significant differences and traditions that are apart of “the Black church” that are not apart of other churches or religious institutions. For example, my love of music and singing began in church. The music of the Black church plays a significant role in the service and in the life of people apart of the church. My identification as a member of the Black Baptist culture, has lead to my identification as a member of the gospel music culture, which has expanded my interest in all types of music such as jazz, r&b, ragtime, swing, neosoul, rap, of which all can be traced back to gospel music and other church music.

I also identify myself as a Spelman woman. For four years I attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. This one experience has probably had one of the greatest impacts on my life. During the four years I was at Spelman, I was exposed to so many new and different things both inside and outside of the classroom. I feel like I became my own person, with my own ideas and perspectives that I did not mind sharing with others even when my beliefs were unpopular. While at Spelman, I was able to explore new parts of myself and new lifestyles that my family, my friends, my church, and my home-culture, did not allow me to explore when I was in that environment. As a result of removing myself from those things, I was truly able to figure out who I am, what I like, how I like it, and what I want to do.

When I finished Spelman in May 2006, I came back to my family, my church, and my home-culture, of which all have remained the same. Who I am now, is a different person than who I was then, which has created some dissonance; however, in dealing with this dissonance, I feel like I have become a member of a new culture: the learning to cope with “change” and difference after returning home from college culture.

The newest culture I have joined has been the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Students of Education culture. When I joined this culture I thanked my parents and my professors at Spelman for making me the person I am with the knowledge I have, because it has come in handy. I am often the only person of color in my classes, which often means that I am the only one with a certain ideology or practice. Despite my underrepresentation on this campus and in my classes, I still feel the need to assert who I am and make my voice known. Similarly, my classmates often present view points that I have never considered and in being who I am, I think it is only right for me to listen to and respect their opinions, but interject when their perspectives marginalize others.

Who am I? I am the dream and hope of all who have come before me and who have come from the same place I have come from. I have worked to carry out the great legacy of my African Ancestors. I have worked to carryout “the dreams and hopes” of enslaved Africans, southern sharecroppers, and Civil Rights leaders who worked towards paving a road of equality and equity. I come from the streets of North Philadelphia and am a product of a public school education, but I have not let these stereotypical circumstances determine all that I am. I have sort out more experiences and lifestyles which has lead me to who I am, this multicultural being.

My Portfolio is in the Ebryotic Stage...

The final component to my Master's program is not a thesis paper, but a comprehensive portfolio of my professional and educational experience as it relates to the Reading, Writing, and Literacy program. For me, the central component of my experience relates to change...how my views about theory and practice has changed, my ideas and perceptions about people, issues, and other things relating to education has changed, and ultimately, how I have changed...

These past two weeks have been like a brilliant brain breakthrough (see that alliteration) for me. Well, as I think about it, it's not really a breakthrough, because my practicum has been very influential, class discussions, conversations, etc, but maybe this is my "ah ha" moment... All these small things began to take shape after I reflected on my time at the conference on higher education, then I came across a concept in one of my course readings, and finally, GSE's 28th Ethnography Forum that took place this weekend was the pinnacle.

There were 3 key conversations that really had an impact on my pondering of education as it relates to "parallel cultures" (Virginia Hamilton's more accurate way of referring to "minorities"): The Ethnography of Misery: Teaching and Learning in the Midst of Suffering (Ladson-Billings), Do You Really Know Me?: Understanding the Issues Affecting African American Males, and What am I Supposed to Do With This?: White Student-Teachers' Responses to Black Students' Accusations of Racism.

My brain started cooking when Ladson-Billings discussed the pain or misery that we as individuals, families, communities, whole ethnic groups, and societies face. She correlated this "misery" to the struggle of students and teachers...before we as teachers can reach students and before students are able to be open to learning, we not only have to get to the core of their misery, but we must also understand and address our own misery. For example, you cannot expect a student to come to school and be prepared to learn if mommy never came home last night, or if daddy went to jail.

The next session I attended, which was a panel discussion with about 5 people who research(ed) issues affecting African American Males. This session posed the question: Do You Really Know Me? In order to reach our students, we must know them. Knowing them extends beyond knowing them as learners or students, but as individuals and people of society...knowing their misery. However, one of the presented highlighted the importance of knowing one's self as the primary prerequisite for knowing one's students. If you don't know who you are, as a person, as a member or your own cultural background and society, as a person of your gender, as a teacher, as a learner, etc...there is no way for you to know your students. This conversation has prompted me to go back and review my "Who Am I?" paper, because that was my way of getting to the core of my "evolving self".

In another session I attended two individuals presented their research findings on the issue of how White student-teachers deal with or respond to Black students accusations of racism. They presented their findings across a continuum - at one end there were the preservice teachers who were completely open to hearing and responding to students in responsive manners while at the other end were the preservice teachers who dismissed students' concerns and were completely close-minded. The fact of the matter is that students want and need to talk about race, among other taboo issues that schools seem to omit (class, SES, poverty, etc.), which leads back to the ethnography of misery and knowing yourself and your students...

Fattah Conference on Higher Education

If you are interested in graduate and professional school...
If you want to network...
If you want scholarships....
If you want to know how to pay for school...

Come to the last day of the Fattah Conference. Tomorrow is dedicated to these four things. There will be a session on paying for school, a graduate fair, and an opportunity to network. The sessions begin at 8am and go until about 2pm. The conference is held at the Sheraton Hotel at 17th and Race.

The End of the Week!

WHEW!

I am done with classes for the week! I don't know if you guys are aware of this or not: there are no graduate education classes scheduled on Fridays! Fridays are generally free of instructional classes. My weeks are filled on-site training, readings, assignments, and of course, 2 hour classes, so when I get to the end of the week, I AM EXCITED!

Although I am not completely free from the world of academia on Friday, it is still a more relaxing day than the other days of the week. On Fridays students usually schedule group meetings, hold special class sessions, or even just come to use GSE's resources. A typical Friday for me usually begins with a campus tour. As an admissions GA, I have the pleasure of meeting perspective students that are interested in one of GSE's programs. I meet up with the student and give them a walking tour of the "main parts" or most busy parts of Penn's campus. We tour the main walkway through campus - Locust Walk- resource places that most grad/professional students find helpful - student centers, libraries, bookstores, etc. Our tour usually concludes with lunch at Cosi's (www.getcosi.com) LOL. Most perspective students usually find this helpful, because they get the opportunity to view Penn through the eyes of a current student. I always make an attempt to continue the connections I make with perspective students. Every so often I email the students to see how they are doing and to make sure they are staying on top of the application process.

I hope these blogs are doing you guys some good. If not, tell us what to write about and let us know what you want to hear.

:)

“You Have to Live in Somebody Else's Country to Understand”

This is the poem I mentioned in my previous post...


“You Have to Live in Somebody Else's Country to Understand” by Noy Chou
What is it like to be an outsider? What is it like to sit in the class where everyone has blond hair and you have black hair? What is it like when the teacher says, "Whoever wasn't born here raise your hand." And you are the only one. Then, when you raise your hand, everybody looks at you and makes fun of you. You have to live in somebody else's country to understand. What is it like when the teacher treats you like you've been here all your life? What is it like when the teacher speaks too fast and you are the only one who can't understand what he or she is saving, and you try to tell him or her to slow down. Then when you do, everybody says, "If you don't understand, go to a lower class or get lost." You have to live in somebody else's country to understand. What is it like when you are an opposite? When you wear the clothes of your country and they think you are crazy to wear these clothes and you think they are pretty. You have to live in somebody else's country to understand. What is it like when you are always a loser. What is it like when somebody bothers you when you do nothing to them? You tell them to stop but they tell you that they didn't do anything to you. Then, when they keep doing it until you can't stand it any longer, you go up to the teacher and tell him or her to tell them to stop bothering you. They say that they didn't do anything to bother you. Then the teacher asks the person sitting next to you. He says, "Yes, she didn't do anything to her" and you have no witness to turn to. So the teacher thinks you are a liar. You have to live in somebody else's country to understand. What is it like when you try to talk and you don't pronounce the words right? They don't understand you. They laugh at you but you don't know that they are laughing at you, and you start to laugh with them. They say, "Are you crazy, laughing at yourself? Go get lost, girl." You have to live in somebody else's country without a language to understand. What is it like when you walk in the street and everybody turns around to look at you and you don't know that they are looking at you. Then, when you find out, you want to hide your face but you don't know where to hide because they are everywhere. You have to live in somebody else's country to feel it.
Published in 1986 by the Anti-Defamation League for the "A World of Difference" project.

Happy First Week of February...

As the Diversity Fellow for GSE I get to do a lot of exciting things around diversity. One of the big events that we are in the process of getting together is a Diversity Weekend for GSE. I don't know if I am at liberty to go into detail about this event so I will just say how I feel about it...

I enjoy brainstorming ideas and planning for this event, sometimes more than my coursework. My experience as a Spelman student and now as a Penn student is helping me to see some of the things that Penn needs in order to appeal or make the transition more comfortable for students who may not be well represented at Penn and at GSE. By being in a position to facilitate some of the conversations and experiences to make others aware of this difference and help others negotiate this difference, I feel like I am doing something valuable and worthwhile for students on both ends of the spectrum. I also feel confident in my ability to be in this position and manage it well, with the help of others, because this is something that I have experienced firsthand, on many occasions.

Tonight in my Multicultural Literature class we began by reading a poem entitled “You Have to Live in Somebody Else's Country to Understand.” Upon reading this poem I immediately related it to my experience as a "minority" (I do not like using this word, but I can't think of anything else right now) at Penn. I have been in this situation before, but the differences are so pronounced when coming from four years after being at an HBCU. I'm sure that everybody has had an "outsider" experience before, and have known the uncomfortable nature of this experience...now, I ask you to picture your outsider experience in an educational setting, where you are trying to learn. Is not very easy...

Student Teaching

Just one of the practical experiences you will get at GSE if you are going into the teaching practice: STUDENT-TEACHING! Everybody has different student-teaching experiences. For me, all my practical/ field assignments have shown me something new and different about schools, education, learning, teaching, students, etc. However, in each instance I have felt equipped and capable to manage and work through the situations and tasks I am given.

Since I am seeking my Reading Specialist certification I have to work with some kind of literacy program within a school at least 10 hours per week. All the theory and research that we receive in the classroom is often challenged during this experience and at other times it is well supported. My experiences have taught me that I need to find the correct balance between these two concepts. Depending on the setting, the students, and the school culture, this balance changes; however, classroom discussions and even casual discussions with classmates and professors are essential in helping to find/create an effective balance between theory and practice.

Greetings

My name is Jamie. I am a master's student in the Reading, Writing, and Literacy Program who will be seeking Reading Specialist Certification. I came to GSE immediately after undergraduate at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. I have returned to Philadelphia, where I am originally from, because, I did not feel like Atlanta was quick enough for me. I also like how Philly is a "travelable" city, its easy to get place to place with or without a car. Until next time my friends...